It began with a ceremony that encapsulated Africa's unique, infectious culture. It incorporated magical skills, memorable goals, momentous upsets, and world-record runs being established and extinguished. It ended with Brazil recovering a two-goal deficit to edge USA in a thrilling, dramatic final.
If South Africa 2009 was viewed beforehand as a mere appetiser for next year's FIFA World Cup™, its sumptuous fare certainly ensured we will be savouring the taste all the way to 2010.
Ultimately, Brazil were worthy winners of a record third trophy. They cruised through Group B with three straight victories, scoring ten times in the process, before a solitary, late Daniel Alves free-kick sunk South Africa in the semi-finals.
It was in the decider, however, that A Seleção earned their grandest compliments, combining skill and spirit to prevail. When they went 2-0 down inside half an hour, the omens looked bleak. Brazil had been at a two-goal deficit on four previous occasions under Dunga. They had ended up losers on each of these.
But the 45-year-old's half-time team-talk evidently did the trick. Within seconds, Luis Fabiano had halved the American lead with a well-taken goal. O Fabuloso then restored parity in 74th minute, before Lucio emerged as the unlikely hero six minutes from time to make Dunga the only man to win the FIFA Confederations Cup as a player and coach.
"Like every final, it was very tough. But even when we went 2-0 down, we still believed we would win," said Dunga. "We were very determined. To come back from this deficit you need a team of men. I'm proud of my players."
Lucio and Luis Fabiano, who finished top of the Castrol Index and seized the adidas Golden Shoe respectively, both made handsome contributions to Brazil's conquest, as did Maicon, Robinho and Kaka, who was named Budweiser Man of the Match in the final and pocketed the adidas Golden Ball.
rnament in which they almost produced the mother of all revivals. Ahead of their arrival, few gave the Americans a chance of reaching the last four. Heading into their final Group B game, seemingly nobody did. They had lost 3-1 to Italy and 3-0 to Brazil and were seemingly devoid of organisation and intuition.
Bob Bradley's side confounded their critics in emphatic fashion, though, overwhelming an in-form Egypt team 3-0 to snatch a place in the semi-finals, before inflicting a first defeat in 36 games upon Spain. Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan, both of whom excelled during the competition, then gave the US a two-goal lead against Brazil, before the aforementioned comeback.
